Make HW sector light mode names clearer

[Xeotroid]

There's quite a few different sector light modes in the hardware renderer, and the way they are named are far from ideal for the common user, in my opinion. For instance, the old "Doom" option is just a variation of the Standard mode, while a common user might think it's supposed to be a faithful emulation of "the old Doom". (Yes, someone who knows the software renderer knows it's much different, but I'm talking about possible first time players booting up Doom - though that brings up the question whether "Software" shouldn't be the default setting, since a user's first thing usually isn't to go to renderer options, but that's a different topic)
Then there's a difference between "Software" and "Vanilla" modes, both of which attempt the same thing but only the former is actually mostly faithful to the original renderer. Similarly, many users might be confused by what "Legacy", I don't know how well known that port is nowadays.

Therefore, I'd like to suggest a possible clean-up of those names. My ideas are below, but they sound a bit clunky to me, so take it as just a conversation starter / starting point of sorts. What do you think? I can see the negative of the terminology change causing possible confusion; better options than what I propose should diminish that, though.

Code: Select all

Standard | Modern Standard
Bright   | Modern Bright
Doom     | Modern "Doom"
Dark     | Modern Dark
Build    | Build Emulation
Legacy   | Doom Legacy Emulation
Software | Classic Doom (Faithful)
Vanilla  | Classic Doom (Older)

On a partially related note: Is the user notified in any way if the GLSL-based light modes fall back to the "Doom" mode? If not, perhaps a message in the menu telling the user that those two are not available should be shown, if possible.

[chunks]

I like it.
Also count me in for camp "Software" being default

[yum13241]

Agreed. Even Dwars got confused by the names in his "How to make GZDoom look like Crispy Doom" video. He erroneously claimed that Vanilla is more accurate than Software.


Instead of
Vanilla | Classic Doom (Older)

try

Vanilla | Classic Doom (ZDoomish)

[Ihavequestions]

My impression has been that Vanilla is indeed more accurate than Software. Am I wrong on this?

Perhaps it's not more accurate but just looks better suited for most vanilla maps.

[phantombeta]

My impression has been that Vanilla is indeed more accurate than Software. Am I wrong on this?

You are not, no. AFAIK "Software" should match ZDoom's software renderer, which in itself is tweaked from vanilla Doom's.

[Xeotroid]

I haven't compared GZDoom's software and original (or very close to original) software renderers, but comparing GZDoom's software renderer and the two hardware light modes, no, "Vanilla" isn't more faithful than "Software" by a long shot. See this album, with palette tonemap post-fx turned on alongside banded lighting and standard (not radial) fog. It seems to match the description on the wiki:

• Software: GLSL-based emulation of the ZDoom software renderer's lighting. Virtually identical to original Doom.
• Vanilla: GLSL-based emulation of original Doom's lighting, in theory, but in practice appears a step darker overall.

Gotta say, though, "Software" is pretty damn close. Here's it compared to the true colour SW renderer: https://imgur.com/a/yTmdfK2
I had no clue the true colour had some kind of texture filtering implemented, when did that happen?

Last comparison, with DSDA-Doom. "Software" light mode looks really quite close. Sure, there are differences, but you'd have to be super intimately familiar with the original look to notice a difference at a glance, and if you want more software at that point, you're better off just using real software. "Vanilla" is definitely darker than both ports' software modes (I haven't played with gamma).
...Aaaand I've just realised I've been using smooth fake contrast in GZDoom this whole time, which skews results a bit when compared with DSDA. No matter, probably.

[yum13241]

I always wondered where @phantombeta got that info from...


Either way, I can't tell a difference except between anything & the "Vanilla" mode. DSDA-Doom's "Indexed" light mode is a godsend. So is "Shaders". The "GLBoom" light mode needs to be blown up off of the face of the Earth.

[phantombeta]

I always wondered where @phantombeta got that info from...

GZDoom's own changelog ("add vanilla lightmode that behaves exactly as Doom's original light did") and dpJudas, who implemented the Vanilla light mode in the first place.

I completely agree that the naming of the light modes are beyond terrible. As far as I know, there three primary light modes:

dark = For those that don't like Doom's diminishing light feature. At least its pretty popular among those players that don't.
software = For those that like randi's light adjustments to the ZDoom software renderer.
vanilla = An attempt at reproducing the original Doom light exactly. That is, it is supposed to look like Chocolate Doom does.

Relevant parts of dpJudas' post highlighted.
Comparing the screenshots, it looks like the Vanilla lightmode is darker by a whole light step, which indicates a bug, not that it's less faithful.

[Edit: Added a link to the commit where it was implemented.]

[Ihavequestions]

I did some direct comparisons against vanilla Doom in DOS Box, and it seems to me that Software is the most faithful mode if no gamma correction is used, respectively.

The Vanilla mode may appear slightly more faithful at times, if some gamma correction is being used.

[yum13241]

add vanilla lightmode that behaves exactly as Doom's original light did

I guess it was inaccurate. At the end of the day the intentions don't matter* if it visibly looks different. In the "Vanilla" mode in the imgur link, "Vanilla" made the pillars darker.

*You can't claim it's more accurate.

Comparing the screenshots, it looks like the Vanilla lightmode is darker by a whole light step, which indicates a bug, not that it's less faithful.

Even if it is a bug, it is technically less faithful.

On GLES Software and Vanilla look the exact same.